The Final Choice
by misfit3232
Summary: Kikyo finally decides that she has to get rid of Kagome, no matter what it takes, so she can finally have Inuyasha to herself. When the rest of the gang discover her plans, they do all they can to stop her while keeping Kagome and Inuyasha out of it.
1. Waiting

**Disclaimer: **No, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters from inuyasha :( :( ... Now! this is my first fan fic. :) So please please please review and rate. I tried super hard to at least make sure i had good spelling and grammar. :) I hope you enjoy it! Lemme know if you like my writing style! :) thankies! :)

_ Damn! I wish she'd hurry up already! _Inuyasha thought to himself, looking down from his perch on a tall pine tree. He leaned back against the trunk of the tree, carelessly dangling his leg off of the branch he was sitting on. _Stupid Kagome, _he thought, swinging his leg back and forth a little more forcefully, _taking forever to come back from her world… who does she think she is? Making us all wait. This is important! Jewel shards are more important than those 'tests' she's always goin on about._ "Augh! What the hell is taking her so long?" Inuyasha blurted, uncrossing his arms, only to forcefully cross them again and hurl himself back against the tree trunk. The whole tree shook. The half-demon let out a long sigh. He rubbed his eyes. He watched the clouds. He fidgeted. He scowled. "Man it's hot today," he murmured to himself. It seemed stagnant; even the little puffs of air that blew across his face were warm. _Hmph. This is gonna be a long wait, seein as it's Kagome I'm waitin on. Might as well take a nap. _Inuyasha yawned, closed his eyes, and was asleep in a matter of minutes, ears twitching and leg slowly swinging.

"Shhhh Shippou! Successful spying can only be done in absolute silence!" Miroku scolded, waving his staff in the air, as if to emphasize his point. "Do you want to come watch for Kagome with me or not?"

"Of course I do!" Shippou cried, jumping on Miroku's left shoulder. "I promise, I'll be silent until you say I can talk!" Shippou promised, as he thought to himself, _Well you sure do know a lot about spying Miroku…_The the two travelled silently until Shippou nudged Miroku in the side of the head a little too hard, and pointed to the silver-haired figure up in the tree. Miroku put his finger to his lips and nodded. The pair snuck up behind some bushes located a few feet behind and to the right of the tree. From their position they could peek out between the brambles and see the well, and the sleeping half-demon.

"Now," whispered Miroku, "Shippou, how about a game of cards?" The monk pulled out a pack of playing cards Kagome had given him as a gift. Miroku was proud to say that he could play a mean game of Go Fish.

"You're on Miroku!" the little fox demon whispered back emphatically, "but don't expect me to go easy on you," he said, puffing out his little furry chest, "I'll win for sure this time!"

Inuyasha yawned and stretched, opening his eyes and immediately closing them against the bright light of the sun. _Damn. She's still not back yet._ He growled softly to himself. As he leaned back against the trunk of the tree, he felt something tickle his neck. _Oh god! How disgusting! _A very bright, very fat caterpillar was sitting on his shoulder, and attempting to drag its bloated, furry body up his neck. _Ugh. I don't wanna squash this nasty thing. It'll spray bug guts all over the place... it's huge! _Inuyasha glared at the caterpillar. He flicked it off his shoulder and barely gave it a glance as it plummeted towards the ground. _Serves the little bugger right for crawlin all over me. Hmph. Speaking of little buggers, I wonder if Kagome is doin' alright. I wonder if she did good on that test-thingy. Man I hope so… if she didn't I'll have to hear about it for the rest of my life. Why does she always have to leave? Why can't I go with her, huh? What if, What if… _

"Miroku…" said Shippou nervously, "Uh… something just… landed on my head. What…is it?"

"Oh Shippou, its nothing!" Miroku lied. The caterpillar slowly crawled down Shippou's forehead, and suddenly slipped, sliding down onto the little fox demon's nose. Shippou's eyes widened as the caterpillar started to crawl around on his face.

" GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME MIROKU! AAAAUGH!"

"Shippou! Shhhh…" Miroku said, quite uselessly, as there was no way that any amount of Shh'ing could undo the damage Shippou's wailing had done. "Well, now Inuyasha knows we're here. I bet even Kagome heard you all the way in her time Shippou." Miroku said, unhappily.

"Having some 'issues' there, Shippou?" Said a voice. Inuyasha glared down at the fox demon and the monk, both of whom looked very, very guilty. So… you two wanna explain to me what you're doin here?"

"Inuyasha!" Shippou sputtered, frantically trying to shake the fat caterpillar off of his head. "We were just waiting for Kagome! We wanna see her when she comes back too! You can't just hog her all to yourself you big-"

"Oh shut up, you little twerp!" Inuyasha snapped, smacking Shippou on the head. "What do you know, you little squirrel?"

"Inuyasha," said a voice, from the other side of the tree, "you better make sure that Kagome doesn't see that bump you gave Shippou just now. She won't be happy."

"Sango? You too? What is this? A public event? Why can't I just wait for Kagome in peace and quiet?" Inuyasha yelled.

"Kagome is our friend too Inuyasha. We have just as much right to be here as you do, ya know. Plus, I promised to have girl time with her in the hot spring nearby. _And he tells us all he doesn't get jealous! _Thought Sango, dryly. _What a lie._

"Hey! Can someone help me? This stuff is heavy you!" a muffled voice floated through the air, making everyone else stop and turn their heads.

"Kagome!" Cried Inuyasha

"KAGOME!" Said Shippou. The two glared at each other as they raced to the well, each eager to help the human girl out first.

**End!**

teehee! How'd ya like it? please please please read it and review it :) aaahhh! Thank you allll!


	2. Where is Kirara?

**Disclaimer:**

Yet again, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the Characters in Inuyasha. Sighz.

_Finally,_ Inuyasha thought, smiling inwardly, _She's back. Back with me. Hmph. Those stupid tests of hers. Why are they so important anyway? _Sango and Kagome chattered excitedly, as they gathered their things to take to the hot spring. Inuyasha was interrupted by Shippou's voice. "Hey, Kagome! Did you bring that cool yellow bird toy for me?" Shippou looked at Kagome, waiting excitedly.

"Yellow bird… oh! Yes!" Kagome pulled the rubber ducky from her bag and handed it to Shippou.

"Oh yay! Now I can have something to do when us _men_," Shippou said, puffing up his little chest, "go the hot spring! Hey! Inuyasha look-"

"Yea, yea. I see it. And no, you're not comin to the hotspring with us, ya little twit!" Inuyasha snapped at Shippou, crossing his arms, and glaring at everyone from under his hair.

"But-but- but Inuyashaaaaa," Shippou squeaked defiantly, "I wanna try out my new bath toy! Please?"

"Nope."

"What a jerk! Kagome?" Shippou asked, turning to Kagome and smiling innocently. "Can I come with you and Sango?" he asked, hopefully.

"Well, I guess you'll have to if Inuyasha won't let you come with Miroku and him." Sango reasoned. "If it's okay with Kagome, I don't see why not…"

"Now hold on, you little brat!" Inuyasha protested, startling everyone. "Don't you think that you're a little old for that Shippou?"

"Well, I can't go by _myself_ Inuyasha," the little fox demon rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. "If I can't go with you and Miroku, that means I'll have to go with Kagome, Sango, and Kirara." He said, as he thought to himself, _Where is Kirara? I haven't seen her all day. Hmmm._ At the mention of Kirara's name, Sango sprang to her feet.

"Shippou? May I talk to you for a moment?" Sango asked, as she gave the fox demon a look that said "You _really_ need to talk with me," and then walked out of Kaede's hut, Shippou running after her.

"What is it, Sango?"

"It's Kirara. She's doing some…uh…business. I was hoping nobody would notice. So please, keep quiet Shippou," Sango leaned down and said quietly, "it's for Kagome, okay?"

"For Kagome? Okay! I'll keep quiet!" Shippou promised, walking back inside the hut, Sango trailing after him. _Kagome, this is for you. I know how much this whole situation is hurting you. Please, if you find out, don't get mad at me for meddling. _Sango thought heavily.

"Kagome? Are you ready?" asked Sango, as she picked up her bathing items and walked back out of Kaede's hut. "Let's head to the hotspring."

"Coming!" Kagome cried, as she ran out of the hut after Sango. "See ya later guys!" she waved to everyone in the hut. Some ways away, in a forest overrun by mold and mushrooms, and vines that seemed to be eating the trees, was a large, cat-like demon. It raised its head every once in a while, sniffing the air, confirming that it was indeed travelling in the right direction. Kirara was on a mission, and nothing was going to stop her.

**End**

Yes, it's short. But more shall follow please R+R. thnx! ^^ I love you all!


	3. Kirara's Mission

**Disclaimer:**

No, I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in Inuyasha. gaaah oh well. ^^

**Chapter Three: Kirara's Mission**

Kirara padded quietly through the forest, sniffing the air. The intelligent demon was especially alert, as she could smell all sorts of nasty demons around her. She was only looking for one thing; she sniffed the air again. She could smell it, faintly, the scent of it clinging to the air around her. Kirara turned her head and growled softly, crouching down and slowly moving forward. She had so far been able to avoid any trouble, but she would by no means let her guard down. She couldn't. She had to find that scent and follow it until she could bring back something useful to Sango. _That smell. _Kirara bounded forward, leaping over the brush and obstacles in her way, ducking under branches, weaving her way through the foliage.

Kikyo picked her way through the forest, her soul-collectors drifting behind her. _Inuyasha, where are you? Why have you not come to find me? We have not talked in a while. Why have you not sought me out? It's that Kagome isn't it? How dare you choose her over me. She is nothing but a copy of myself. That horrible girl. Why can't you love me?_ Kikyo stopped, resting her head against a tree, her soul-collectors swirling slowly around her head. _She is in my way, that Kagome. I must get rid of her._ "I cannot allow that copy to stand in my way. Inuyasha is mine. I will do everything in my power to get him back." She ranted, clenching her fist and pressing it firmly into the tree. She did not notice the rustling sound just a few feet to her left.

Kirara slowly crawled away from the dead priestess, not daring to move any faster until she was sure she was a safe distance away. She held one of the shimmery eel-like soul-collectors gently in her mouth, being careful not to actually hurt it.

"Aaaahhhh" Kagome sighed, lowering herself farther into the hot spring. "This is so relaxing, isn't it Sango?" She looked over at the demon slayer, who was currently resting her chin on her hands, as she looked at the grassy area surrounding the hot spring.

"Hm? Oh, yes. It is Kagome. Can you hand me the soap? I left it on the grass behind you." Sango said, pointing to the bar of soap that Kagome had given her, which was placed on top of her neatly folded clothing.

"Sure! One second…" Kagome replied, as she tried to pull herself out of the water. Just as she grabbed the soap, her foot slipped, and she fell backward, her yelp of surprise barely audible over the large splash she made as she fell back into the water.

"Kagome? Kagome!" Sango cried out, startled. Kagome soon emerged, sputtering and laughing at the same time. Soon, Sango couldn't help but join in, as they both howled with laughter.

"Hey! What's goin on over there? We want our turn ya know!" Inuyasha's voice startled both the girls, as they looked at each other.

"Inuyasha," Sango piped up, "give us a few more minutes."

"Well hurry up then!"

The two girls washed their hair, got out of the hot spring, and got dressed. "That was very relaxing Sango. Oh! Here's your soap!" at the mention of the soap, both girls started giggling as they walked back to Kaede's hut.

Sango looked up at the dark sky. She twiddled a blade of grass between her thumb and forefinger. She was waiting. She had been waiting for a while now. Finally, she saw what she was waiting for: Kirara landed softly, just a few feet away from Sango, dropping the soul-collector at the demon slayer's feet. "So, you found her Kirara." Sango said softly, rubbing Kirara's head distractedly. "So what is she up to? What did you find out?" Kirara whined, butting her head softly against Sango's chest. "Nothing good huh?" Sango guess. Kirara nodded, and, getting agitated, whined softly. "She's planning something isn't she?" she wondered alould, as Kirara nodded vigorously. "Inuyasha hasn't come for her in a long time. I bet she's getting pretty upset." Kirara nodded even more emphatically. "I wonder if Kagome…" Kirara whined loudly and butted Sango's shoulder firmly. "Ouch! Kirara what-" Kirara looked at Sango as if she needed Sango to understand what she was trying to tell her. "Is Kagome involved?" Kirara nodded slowly. "Is she… planning? Planning something that involves… Kagome?" Kirara's head moved up and down quickly. She was happy that Sango had understood her. The demon cat and the demon slayer had always had a special relationship. They had the deepest trust in one another, and respected and cared about each other greatly. "I have to tell Inuyasha then…" as Sango started to get up, Kirara grabbed her sleeve and shook her head. "Then again," Sango sat back down. "I think we should keep Kagome and Inuyasha out of this. Otherwise, Inuyasha will just go to her and Kagome will get hurt." _Or maybe, Kikyo's plans will end up getting Kagome killed. Especially if Inuyasha isn't there to protect her._ "No," said Sango, "this has to stay between us, Kirara."

"What's this?" Sango jumped. Miroku and Shippou were peeping out at her from behind an especially large patch of blackberry brambles. Sango scowled. "Don't worry Sango! We'll keep the secret. The question is," Miroku said thoughtfully, "What should we do about this?"

**End**

Whew. I hope this is good.


	4. Kikyo's First Attempt

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Inuyasha or any of the Inuyasha characters.

Hello again!

Miroku glanced at Sango. "Well, we don't really know what Kikyo is up to, so we can't really come up with a plan to stop her." He sighed, lost in thought.

"I know, I know, but we have to at least think of what we _could _do if she appeared and tried to take Kagome." Replied Sango, directing her anger at Kikyo towards the monk.

"Well, I suppose you're right Sango," Miroku slid over next to the demon slayer, "I guess we could come up with precautionary-"

"Miroku." Sango looked at him. "Move your hand. Now is _not _the time."

"My dear, sweet Sango!" Miroku exclaimed, "does that mean there _is _a time?" he asked, half teasing, half hoping.

"NO!" Sango shouted. "It means that now is an especially bad time. Don't push it monk." She scowled darkly as Miroku slowly scooted away.

"I see…" he said cautiously. He sighed. "Then I suppose it's back to planning then." _How unfortunate that we don't know what her plan is _he thought somewhat woefully. _Then we could fix this entire mess, and Sango wouldn't be in such a bad mood. I swear, this hand will get me into trouble. But on a more serious note, we need to protect Kagome._

Kagome stormed out of the hut. "Fine, Inuyasha! JustFINE!" she stomped away with purpose, leaving Inuyasha glaring at her back, sputtering about how annoying she was. "And don't follow me Inuyasha! Leave me alone!" she hissed.

"Follow you? Why would I wanna follow a brat like you? You're not even nice to me! HMPH!"

"Why-why … UGH! SIT!" Kagome shouted as she marched away.

"OUCH! See? I told ya, you're not even nice to me!" Inuyasha yelled after her. She didn't answer. _Damn. Why didn't she say anything back? She must be really mad. Maybe I'll go after her in a few hours. I think it'd be dangerous to go after her now…_ he sat up and sighed deeply, resting against a tree near the edge of the forest that Kagome had so purposefully stomped into. _Hmph. Why does she always get so mad at me? _His ears drooped. _Aww man. How do I apologize to her when she's so angry?_

"Inuyasha!" Sango ran up to the half-demon, the end of her boomerang smacking him in the side of the head as she bent over and shook him. "Inuyasha? Are you awake?"

"Augh! Yes! I'm awake! What's up?"

"Where's Kagome?"

"Dunno. She got pissed at me and ran off. And no! I'm not apologizing." Inuyasha huffed, turning his nose up at Sango.

"She ran off? Where to? Inuyasha?"

"I don't know! Jeez, stop bothering me! She can do what she wants. Why do I have to keep track of her? Who do you think I am anyway? A babysitter? Why do I-"

"Ugh. You're impossible" Sango shook her head. "Well I'm going to find her. Kirara, let's go find Kagome." Kirara wasn't listening. She was standing stock still, her eyes locked straight ahead, her ears twitched and then went as still as the rest of her. She seemed fixated on something. "Kirara?" Sango asked, quietly, not wanting to interrupt the cat demon's focus. Suddenly Kirara growled fiercely, surprising even Sango with her ferocity.

There was a deafening crash behind them, and as everyone turned to look at the entrance of the forest, two trees went flying through the air, as though they were simply children's toys. A large crawled out, the top of it's head just below the tops of the trees. Then, it stood up. It was huge. It towered over the little group of friends, snarling loudly, it's voice echoing through the night. It was disgusting. It had a gigantic head, even for the titanic body upon which the head was situated. It had wild, dark hair that appeared to have moss and weeds growing in it. Its hair went all the way down to the ground, and, as the creature moved, the mess of hair atop its head swished and swirled about in the air, flinging chunks of dirt, mud, and various types of vegetation every which-way. The monster had dark blue, square shaped eyes, and, when it blinked, it revealed eyelids that were covered with moss and mold, and long, sharp thorns. There was a large hole with several long pointed fangs, some of which had seemingly pierced through the upper and lower lips a long time ago and left huge holes behind. Red ooze dripped from the long ears on either side of the monster's head, dropping onto its shoulders and making its long, shaggy fur sticky and damp. It had very broad shoulders, and arms that were covered with fur down to the elbows. From the elbow on were sharp looking scales that stuck up a little bit, making the demon's arms serrated weapons. The long fur covered the rest of the demon's body, except the legs, the stomach, the gnarled looking tail, and the very long tongue, which would periodically flick out of its mouth and wipe the goo dripping out of the ears. Long, powerful legs carried the demon forward slowly, deliberately. It seemed to smirk at them, shaking its head, making its messy hair whip around its head. And that's when it hit everyone. The stench was almost unbearable. It was indescribable; everyone covered their noses, and Kirara shrunk down and hid her face in Sango's shoulder.

"Put me down, you smelly jerk!"

"Kagome?" Inuyasha winced at the horrible aroma that seemed to fall heavily around them. "yuuuck!"

"Put me down!"

"Inuyasha! Up there!" Sango pointed with one hand, and pinched her nose with the other, "Up there! It's Kagome!"

"Kirara," Miroku lifted Kirara off Sango's shoulder. "Do you think," he asked, sounding funny with his nose pinched, "this could be Kikyo's doing?" Kirara nodded slowly. "I see. Kirara, find Kikyo and try and keep her away from here. Undoubtedly, if this is her doing, she will be somewhere nearby to see that her plan works, and to find a way to get to Inuyasha. Please, do you best to drive her off somehow." Kirara nodded and bounded away, happy to get further away from the horrible stench, leaving the rest of them behind to fight the demon.


	5. Too Late?

**I do not own Inuyasha, or any of the characters in Inuyasha. waaaah! :P**

Kikyo frowned, shutting her eyes tightly for several seconds, and then snapping them, fixing them on the tree in front of her. She was so different from the Kikyo who had once been alive, so different from the real Kikyo. She was not alive anymore; she was simply a monster, taking advantage of whom she had once been to gain what she now wanted. Of course, Kikyo did not know that. She frowned, twisting her face into an ugly scowl. _What to do about that Kagome, _Kikyo thought, "Perhaps," she said aloud, "I won't kill her. Nay, I'll be the hero. Without her, Inuyasha may not be himself. _But_, if I save her…" Kikyo trailed off. She was starting to like this idea better by the second.

Shippo nudged Kirara. "Kirara!" the little fox demon hissed, "You're stepping on my tail!" Kirara shifted. "Thanks." Grumbled Shippo, resisting the urge to snatch his tail up and rub off the dirt Kirara had smeared on it. He had to listen carefully. Miroku had trusted him, Shippou, to spy on Kikyo. He _had _to pay attention. As he focused his ears on the clearing in front of their hiding spot, he heard the dead priestess speak. As she spoke, Shippou grew more and more shocked. _She's…crazy! _He thought, _she's absolutely crazy! How pathetic to be so desperate about someone like Inuyasha._Shippou shook his head slightly, not believing what he was hearing. This was important. Shippou elbowed Kirara gently, signaling to her that they should leave; they'd heard in enough in his opinion.

Inuyasha fell to his knees, exhausted. He couldn't fight this huge demon. Everytime he started an attack, the demon would squeeze Kagome in its fist, and gnash its fangs at her. Inuyasha swore. Then, he swore again and whipped around to face Miroku.

"Yes, Inuyasha?" Miroku questioned calmly. "Before you ask, I don't know what to do about this disgusting thing either." Miroku said, covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve.

"Well think of something!" Inuyasha snapped, covering his nose too. The demon kept spitting globs of rancid saliva every time it would take a breath. Every few minutes or so it would cough, shaking its whole body so hard, that the trees at its feet would bend and snap from the tremendous gusts of air that the demon created. During these little fits, the demon would unflex and then flex its fist, giving Kagome some much needed air before squeezing it out of her again only a half a minute later.

Sango looked on, worried about Kagome, but not daring to do anything to upset the demon. Kagome, however, seemed to have her own ideas. Sango watched as the demon had a particularly forceful cough, and Kagome grabbed onto the end of its claws, safe from the demon's fist. However, as the demon flexed its hand, Kagome was swung around wildly. Thankfully, the demon did not seem to notice. Sango whirled around as something moved behind her.

"Oh! Kirara! Shippou!" Sango breathed out a sigh, and rushed to her friends. "Shippou, what did you find out?"

"She's crazy!" Shippou waved his arms about, frantically, as he told Sango about what he'd heard.

"She _is _crazy. And desperate. How pathetic…" Sango mused, as she mulled over the problem at hand. "Well I'm not sure what we can do now bu—" Before Sango could finish, there was a shout, and a 'fwish'ing noise. Even before she turned around Sango knew what had happened; it was too late. She groaned inwardly, and ran back to Inuyasha and Miroku, looking at where the fallen demon was now lying. In its back, almost buried completely in the matted hair, was an arrow. A about a foot away, also nearly buried in the matted hair, was Kagome; she was out cold.

Kikyo cursed to herself. She'd have to think of something else. She turned around, and quietly walked away through the forest.


	6. Confusion

**Inuyasha does not belong to me. Neither do any of the characters in Inuyasha. O.o **

Sango was mad. She was very very mad, but she did not dare show it. She was absolutely furious with Inuyasha, Kikyo, and, for no reason at all except the fact that it was easy to be mad at him, she was mad at Miroku too. In her head, she was thinking, _You-you bastards! _But aloud, she said absolutely nothing. Inuyasha was, of course, gone. He'd seen the arrow and known immediately whose it was, and before anyone could say, "Oh thank god Kagome is safe!" Inuyasha had run off into the woods, sniffing the air wildly. _He didn't even spare Kagome a thought! _Sango ranted. _That stupid, inconsiderate, over-grown little puppy, how dare he do that? _Sango slammed around Kaede's hut, pulling medicines off the shelf that she did not even need, only to realize she did not need them and then slam them back into place. Miroku had suggested earlier, quit foolishly, that she would wake Kagome, to which Sango replied, "Shut up!" She had moved Kagome to a different hut, so she could, 'organize some medicines' without disturbing Kagome.

Miroku grumbled to himself, as he reached over to pet Kirara's tiny head. There was a banging noise from inside Kaede's hut, which caused them both to turn their heads to look. Kirara mewed at Miroku. "I don't know, Kirara," Miroku sighed, "she just gets like that. It's all that stupid Inuyasha's fault. That idiot wouldn't do anything right if he didn't have Kagome with him, but look at what he does. She's going to wake up any time now, and he's going to be off somewhere chasing some dead woman." Miroku sighed again, as did Kirara. _He is dumb. _Kirara thought to herself. _Really dumb._

Kikyo could feel the presence approaching long before she saw who it was. When she finally did, she breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Inuyasha…" she said, a little warily, "you're… here." Inuyasha nodded.

"Kikyo..." he suddenly threw himself at her, hugging her tightly, "Kikyo thank you." Kikyo said nothing. "It's okay. I know it was you. You saved Kagome didn't you? Even though you didn't have to and even though you probably didn't want to you. I was beginning to think you wanted to hurt her or something. I was stupid. All my friends were grateful too, and I'm sure Kagome will be when she …" he faltered a little. "when she wakes up…"_When she wakes up… I won't… be there…_Inuyasha thought to himself, suddenly wondering if he had been a bit too impulsive. He shrugged it off, and held Kikyo even tighter.

"It was nothing, Inuyasha." Kikyo cooed, smiling to herself. "I know how much you care about her so…" She trailed off. "Inuyasha, sit and talk with me, won't you? I'm lonely…" He nodded and sat down on the ground, staring intently at her.

_It's morning now, and that stupid dogboy isn't back yet! _Sango stormed out of Kaede's hut, clutching her mammoth boomerang tightly, muttering angrily to herself. Kagome was still asleep or unconscious, Sango wasn't sure anymore. She brushed past Miroku, and nodded to Kirara, who mewed and hopped onto the young woman's shoulder, settling into the familiar groove in her shoulder. She could feel how tense Sango's muscles were, indicating how distraught the demon slayer was. In situations such as this, Sango's first reaction was not to cry and get flustered; she was calm and clear-headed but very visibly angry. She walked swiftly and quietly to the place that she had been standing with all her friends just four hours ago, worrying about Kagome's life. She stopped in her tracks. Lying before her was the huge figure of the deceased creature, yet, it looked completely different than it had a few hours ago. What had seemed to be clumps of fur had been an entire field's worth of grass, growing on the oozy, thick skin on the demon which had to have had at least a foot and a half thick layer of healthy looking dirt caked on it. The grass, it seemed, had been a part of the demon itself. Upon the demon's death, the grass had wilted and died within a short space of time, and was now blowing about in the air, sticking to everything it touched, before being blown away again. The demon itself was practically, 'hairless,' now. Sango approached and knocked off some of the dirt with her weapon. Chunks of dirt speckled with pieces of roots fell onto her feet. The skin beneath the dirt was a light purple, and, upon further inspection, quite soft.

Sango examined the beast quite closely; when it had first appeared, she'd been convinced she had never seen or heard of this demon before. Yet, now, as she looked at the demon's true form, she had a feeling she knew something about this demon, yet could not remember what it was. Sango shrugged off the nagging feeling she was having, and examined the demon's hand, where it had held Kagome. She noted that clumps of grass were still attached to the claws, and that one claw had chip in it, where a long sliver had been removed somehow.

Sango moved to the demon's abdomen area, where she examined the arrow. In the light of the morning, something seemed off. Sango grabbed the fletching of the arrow, and was surprised when it came away in her hands, as she'd barely even gotten a good grasp on it yet. She then realized that she was not holding feathers in her hands; she was holding some stringy sort of moss. Sango threw down the moss and felt around in the dirt for the shaft of the arrow. Upon finding it, she grasped it tightly and pulled. It moved slowly, making a horrible squelching noise, as red ooze ran thickly onto the ground. At first, Sango paid no attention to the arrow's shaft, as it just looked like an arrow; plain, brown, moderately heavy. However, when she took her hands away, they were covered with dirt, which had come from the arrow. The arrow itself did not seem to be brown either. Sango wiped it on the grass, revealing the true, pale yellowish color beneath the dirt. There was also the tip of the arrow. There did not seem to be an actual tip to the arrow. It just seemed to be a sharpened stick.

Sango paused, and then, she had a thought. _If this looks like what it is, then everything just got way more complicated. _She ran back around to the demon's claws, and, placed the, "arrow" where a piece of the demon's claws had been removed: It fit. Sango walked briskly back to the village, her mind full of what she'd found out, and what she was going to do about it.


	7. Still Gone

**I do not own any of the characters in Inuyasha. Sigh this chapter is not very good. wahhh! **

Miroku started at Kagome. The girl had been motionless, up until a half hour ago. Then she'd started moving restlessly, mouthing words, but making absolutely no sound. He'd watched her intently, expecting her to wake up, but she didn't. It stopped, suddenly, and Kagome rolled onto her back, and resumed the quiet, still, countenance she'd had before. He sighed. _Where is that stupid idiot Inuyasha? Why the hell is he out running around with Kikyo when he did not even stay to see if Kagome was even alive? I say, he really is dumb._

Shippou listened to Sango's explanation intently, his eyes widening with every word she spoke. When she was finished, there was a long silence. Finally, it was broken when Miroku said, "So, let us presume that Inuyasha is looking for, or already found Kikyo. He still think he owes Kikyo for sparing Kagome's life. This is quite a mess…"

"Well if that idiot had stayed around to find out, there wouldn't be any mess at all now would there?" Sango thundered, pounding her fist on the ground, spraying dirt everywhere.

"Well," said Miroku, wiping dirt off his robe, "I can't really argue with you there Sango. You're quite right."

"Stupid Inuyasha," Shippou huffed, "What does he know, anyway? He's more interested in someone who's been dead for fifty years than Kagome. How tragic." Shippou's comment was followed by silence. Nobody disagreed, yet they did not want to admit that they all had thought the same thing. Shippou sighed and sat next to Kirara. Then Sango stood up and almost shouted, "Poison!"

"What?" Miroku and Shippou said, clearly very confused.

"Poison! The demon is poisonous!" Sango exclaimed. "I knew I remembered something about a demon that has light purple skin. It's part of being a demon slayer. You learn what certain types of demon characteristics mean. It's just like with frogs you know? Bright colors mean stay away. Well, in this case, it holds true for demons. The purple is not actually the skin itself, it's the poison that is in the demon's blood, and in the demon's skin." She paused. "We need to keep an eye on Kagome. Everyone nodded.

_Kikyo, how long have you been so lonely? _Inuyasha thought, rubbing his eyes. Kikyo and he had talked and laughed through the night, and she had finally fallen asleep, her head on his shoulder, and her hand on his chest. But Inuyasha had not slept much. He'd woken up in the middle of the night, but he could not figure out why. Something was bugging him; he had no idea what, but whatever it was, it was determined to make him miserable. Kikyo had said that, "it was just like old times." And it was. But, at the same time, it wasn't. Inuyasha had not been able to focus on everything Kikyo was saying, and had periodically zoned out, thinking about his friends and continually wondered about; _Kagome. I wonder how Kagome is doing? _But eventually he'd shake it off and remind himself that Kikyo had saved Kagome's life, so he did owe her.

Inuyasha rubbed his eyes again, and yawned quietly. It was morning; almost noon by the looks of it. He sat up, suddenly realizing that he'd been gone for… for… how long? Inuyasha carefully slid himself out from under Kikyo's sleeping figure, and stood up. He sniffed. Then he walked slowly away from Kikyo. He did not run back to the village. He walked. He walked slowly, aimlessly, thinking about Kikyo and how he could repay her.

Sango and Miroku sat outside, looking at the village from their perch on a grassy hilltop. Sango sighed heavily. Miroku glanced at her.

"Sango, I do not know how Inuyasha is going to react, but we do have to be ready for anything." Miroku said slowly.

"Mhm." Sango nodded, obviously just as anxious about the upcoming confrontation that would occur. "How do we tell him… how…oh never mind. We'll think of something I suppose."

Shippou hopped on Sango's lap, holding out a piece of paper. Sango examined the paper and smiled. She showed Miroku and he laughed. Then he said to Shippou, "you may want to dispose of that before Inuyasha sees it. He wouldn't find it funny." Shippou shrugged. Inuyasha would not appreciate his drawing at all. Kikyo and Inuyasha were getting married, except Inuyasha looked very mean, and Kikyo was just a skeleton with lots and lots of hair. Shippou thought was funny, but he knew Inuyasha would get mad at him. Shippou had just finished ripping up the paper and putting it in his pocket when Sango gave a shout. Miroku and Shippou jumped up and looked to see what Sango was frantically pointing at.


	8. Kikyo's Second Attempt

**I do not own any of the characters in Inuyasha. **

After the initial surprise, Sango went silent. She did not feel as though she wanted to talk to Inuyasha. She did not know if she even could talk to him without getting carried away and bashing his brains out in a fit of rage. It was clear to the whole group that Sango was livid. She gave curt, clipped replies to any questions that were asked, excepting questions which Inuyasha asked her, which she did not answer at all. Soon, he stopped attempting to ask her anything.

_I was only gone for one night. _Inuyasha crossed his arms and lay back against the trunk of the huge tree that was shading him from the afternoon sun. He sighed, and rolled onto his back then he sat up and stretched his legs out. He could not seem to get comfortable. _Damn it all! Kagome is still sick or sleeping or whatever. Nobody will tell me what in hell is wrong, and I think Sango is going to kill me in my sleep. _A familiar smell tickled his nose, and he stood up. _Kikyo… finally… some who will give me the time of day around here!_ He rose slowly, and slipped off into the woods.

"He _what?_" Sango bellowed.

"He left to follow Kikyo!" Shippou said, puffing his chest out. "I'm positive. I was spying!" He looked around, realizing that maybe spying was not the most admirable activity for a young fox demon to be doing, but nobody seemed to care at the moment.

"Its…bad manners… to spy… Shippou." A thin voice whispered. Shippou froze, as did Sango and Miroku.

"Kagome!" Shippou was the first to react. He raced across the floor of Kaede's hut and knelt by Kagome's side. "You're awake! Finally!"

"Finally? How long was I asleep? And.. who were you spying on?"

"Uhh…" Shippou paused. He couldn't tell Kagome… "uh… Miroku!"

"oh." Kagome said, obviously not to perturbed about Shippou's offense. "mmm. I'm hungry…" Kagome breathed. She struggled to sit up. Sango was at her side in seconds.

"Kagome, you need to lay down. Don't you even try to get up…" Sango said, worriedly.

"Fine, fine, Sango. I'll just sit here like a lump and do absolutely nothing…" Kagome sighed, obviously hoping she would not have to do anything of the sort.

For the next hour, Sango, Shippou, and Miroku, and Kaede, who had returned from the neighboring village, kept Kagome so occupied with questions, food, and anything else they could think of, that the subject of Inuyasha did not even come up. When Kagome had asked about him, they told her, "He's out. He'll be back soon." And she seemed to be content with that. When she was asked about how the demon was killed, she'd explained that every time the demon had flexed and un-flexed its fist, its claws would scrape together, until, finally, it ended up scraping off a piece. Kagome had escaped it's grasp and, holding on to the tip of the claw, had grabbed the dangling sliver, and, as she was swung back and forth, thrown it at the demon, and somehow, it seemed to leave her hand with a purpose. She had been certain that her through had been relatively weak and inaccurate, yet the long shard seemed to fly through the air with a force she did not think she could ever have conjured up within her. But, she figured that because she was a priestess, the shard had been the same as an arrow, and therefore served the same purpose; it saved her life.

Later, Kagome asked, "Where is Inuyasha? Should we be expecting him back by now? Is he okay?" Everyone looked around, trying to look at anything but the girl waiting expectantly for a response. Finally, Shippou could not stand the tension and blurted out, "He's an idiot! He's with Kikyo!" as soon as he realized what he'd said, he clapped his paws over his mouth and stared wide-eyed around the room. Kagome's expression never changed, but her mouth twitched, her eyes misted, and her smile became listless.

"O-oh." When she spoke, her voice shook a little. She lay back down and said, "I'm tired. I think I'm going to get some rest." The others looked at each other and Miroku and Sango glared at Shippou, but, after seeing that he was clearly more distraught than either of them, they took some pity and tried to comfort him.

Shippou would not have it; he bolted from the hut, and called over his shoulder, "This is all Inuyasha's fault!" Sango looked at Kirara.

"Kirara, make sure Shippou is okay. I don't think Miroku or I could even keep up with him right now." Kirara mewed and followed silently after the little fox demon.

Inuyasha breathed in the smell of the forest at night. It was almost a half-moon, so there was the pale yet vibrant glow of moonlight everywhere. It kissed the top of the trees, leaving bright splotches on everything it touched. _Moonlight is so different from sunlight. _Inuyasha mused. _Sunlight is bright and energizing. It makes things move and grow. Moonlight is calming. It's beautiful. But it makes things still. It makes things stop. It makes things… sleep. But the sun is so different. _An image of Kagome flew through his mind. Inuyasha sighed. He'd lost Kikyo's scent. He'd followed her for a long time, trying to pin point her location, but eventually he'd lost all traces of her, and turned around. He was closer to the village now, but he did not know what he wanted to do yet. He thought about waiting, to see if Kikyo would come back.

His mind wandered from Kikyo to Kagome. _I wonder if she's awake yet. I hope not. Maybe she'll wake up tomorrow when I'm there. I wonder how she'll react when I tell her about Kikyo saving her live. Hmm…_

Sango woke up suddenly. Something was wrong. She shook Miroku awake. Miroku muttered and groaned. Sango checked. Kirara and Shippou were back… what could be wrong? _Kagome!_ She thought, sleepily. She crawled over to Kagome, and touched her. Or she would have, if Kagome had been there. Instead, Sango's hand fell on the floor with a dull thunking sound. Sango yelled, "Kagome's missing! Miroku! Wake up!" Miroku rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood up, swaying, and then steadying himself. He needed to get up. This was very serious. He gathered his staff, and Sango gathered her boomerang and burst outside.

Kikyo turned around at the sound of Sango and Miroku rushing out of the hut. She smiled. "I was telling your friend Kagome how I saved her. She thought she saved herself. Isn't that silly?"

"Kagome! Are you okay?" Sango cried ignoring Kikyo, making Kikyo frown a little.

"She's right here, you know." Kikyo turned around. She was holding a limp Kagome in her arms. "She seems to have… fallen asleep." Sango's eyes narrowed.

"We know the truth, Kikyo." Sango snapped, taking a step forward. Kikyo glared at her, distorting her face, making her look ugly and cruel.

"Kikyo!" A shout came from a distance away, and everyone looked towards the woods. Kikyo's eyes widened.

"Inuyasha." she breathed quietly, letting Kagome drop to the ground. She turned around, already running away. In a minute, she was gone. There was silence. The cold night breeze seemed to reclaim the night, calming everyone down. That is, until Inuyasha came crashing through the trees, only to stop short at the sight of Kagome. He paused. He sniffed.

_Kikyo…_


	9. The Aftermath

**I do not own Inuyasha. However, I wish I did. I'd dispose of that Kikyo, and then he'd be ALL MINE! ALLL MINE!**

_I'm falling. Where? Where am I falling? Where did I fall from? Everything is spinning… so… fast… I'm landing… but I feel nothing. The ground is soft, but there is so much fog, I can't even see my feet. I see something—two people…who is that? Is it…Kikyo? And who is that? Inuyasha? Kikyo…and Inuyasha…together…but where am I? Where am I? Wait…there's a light…If I walk that way…_

"Kagome! Kagome!" Sango wiped the beginnings of tears from her eyes and then grasped Kagome's face in her hands. _Please, Kagome, wake up. You're like a sister to me…I can't lose you! Please…_

"Sango…" Miroku reached out to the demon-slayer. She slapped his hand away.

"No, Miroku," Sango was now sobbing, "I'm not going to stop until she wakes up. I can't lose her. That stupid, stupid, stupid Inuyasha!" with every, 'stupid,' she pounded her fist into the wall of their hut, making a dent.

"Please, Sango, no need to tear our house apart," Miroku said, trying to placate the crying woman.

"You're right," Sango said, wiping the tears away.

"Yes, yes," Miroku said, a little wary of the sudden calm that seemed to have fallen over Sango.

"Yes," she said, gritting her teeth, "why settle for the house, when there's a half-demon out there that needs to be taught a lesson!"

"Now, now, Sango," Miroku said, desperately trying to diffuse the situation.

"W-where…" a voice cut through the tension in the room—a voice no louder than the breathing of a mouse.

"Kagome!" Sango rushed to Kagome's side, her eyes bright with emotion.

"Sango," Kagome wheezed, "I-I-need to go home."

Sango stared, deflated, at the girl lying before her. _Of course she would want to go home…I only wish that…that she would stay, just so I can be sure she's okay. Just so that I can be here…Oh Kagome, why do you have to be so strong for all of us? You deserve a rest…but why do I have to be so selfish?_

"Alright Kagome…"

"Sango," Kagome looked at the demon slayer's face, as if she were deciphering her thoughts.

"Yes, Kagome?"

"I'll be back soon. Please, Don't worry," the priestess said weakly.

Sango smiled. "Kagome, we'll leave in the morning. You need some rest first."

~~~~~!~~~~~~~

_Kikyo! Where could she be? She saved Kagome, I must thank her. Kagome…please don't be angry…I'll come back as soon as I can._

"Inuyasha."

"Kikyo!" Inuyasha stopped, and sniffed. He could smell her. She was so close. "Kikyo, where are you?"

"I am here," The priestess leaped down from the branch upon which she had been sitting. I was worried. I expended too much energy today. I sensed your presence and hid, for I do not have the strength to fight off a demon much larger than your little flea friend."

"Kikyo, I came to say thank you. I can't stay long, Kagome is hurt and—"

"Inuyasha, why do you think only of that girl?" Kikyo's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. _That Kagome. Such a problem!_ She closed her eyes to regain her self-control.

"Kikyo, I-"

"Inuyasha, won't you stay with me? Just tonight. Protect me so I do not have to hide at the slightest sound. Kagome has all of your friends there to protect her. I have no one. Please, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha paused and then nodded. He slumped down against a tree and crossed his arms. Kikyo slid next to him and put her head on his shoulder.

_She's… ice cold. _

~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~~


End file.
